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Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa launched the Regional Health Data Hub, a new digital platform that brings together fragmented health data and transforms it into actionable intelligence for better health decision-making across the African Region.
The consequences of fragmented data are practical. Efforts to reduce maternal deaths, for instance, depend on combining information on antenatal care, skilled birth attendance, emergency obstetric services, health workforce availability and medicine supplies, data that are often stored in separate systems. By bringing these datasets together, the Regional Health Data Hub helps decision-makers identify underserved populations, target resources where they are needed most and make more informed decisions that improve health outcomes.
The Regional Health Data Hub is a shared digital platform that supports all 47 Member States of the WHO African Region. It enables governments, public health institutions, researchers, development partners, and other stakeholders to access harmonized health information, monitor trends, compare progress and generate the evidence needed to make informed decisions. Through a secure web platform, users can access integrated data while countries retain full ownership of their information.
“No health decision in our region should be taken in the dark. Every policy, every investment and every action to improve people's health should be guided by reliable evidence. The Regional Health Data Hub reflects our commitment to ensuring that countries have timely access to the evidence they need to anticipate challenges, direct resources where they are needed most and improve the health and well-being of their populations,” said Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
The Hub integrates information from multiple health programmes, including maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health, noncommunicable diseases, infectious diseases and health systems, into a single interoperable platform. Through interactive dashboards, maps and analytical tools, it enables users to explore trends, monitor progress towards universal health coverage and generate insights that support timely, integrated and evidence-informed decision-making.
The Regional Health Data Hub complements existing national health information systems rather than replacing them. Countries retain ownership of their data while benefiting from common standards that improve interoperability, strengthen data quality and support secure information sharing. A regional governance framework under development will further promote transparency, accountability and responsible data stewardship, helping to build trust in the use of health information across the Region.
The platform also incorporates advanced analytics and artificial intelligence-enabled capabilities that support forecasting, trend analysis and evidence generation. As additional datasets, indicators and analytical tools are introduced through a phased approach, the Hub will continue to expand its ability to support proactive planning, better resource allocation and more resilient health systems across the Region.
Better data alone do not improve people's health—better decisions do. By giving countries faster access to reliable, integrated and actionable health information, the Regional Health Data Hub will help transform data into evidence, evidence into action, and action into better health outcomes for millions of people across the African Region.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.
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